Simon Grayson: Players Are Hurting

Manager Simon Grayson says his team are looking to right the wrongs of the Huddersfield performance both individually and collectively.

The North End boss spoke to PNE.Com ahead of the visit of Steve Bruce’s promotion chasing Hull City and told the official website that there was a lot of determination to get back to winning ways.

“Regardless of the result at Huddersfield there was always going to be a quick turnaround,” he said. “The players will be hurting from their performances, both as individuals and collectively as a team. When you look at the performance as a team, we were too open.

“Very rarely this year has a team cut us open like Huddersfield did yesterday and that was players not playing from the platform of the team we have worked so hard from all season, but the good thing is that there is a quick turnaround.

“It is against a good team who are looking to build on their result yesterday and they want to be back in the Premier League very quickly. It is a good game for us in that respect.”

This is the first game of the second half of the season for teams in the Championship and thus the first clash against a team we have already played once this season.

Back in August the game at the KC Stadium saw the home side come out 2-0 winners, but for North End it was a lesson in what the division is about.

“A big thing about the Championship is that if you are not fully concentrated or do the right things, you get punished,” continued the gaffer.

“The Hull game we played very well, dominated possession at times and they changed their shape as a home team, but ultimately we got done by two set pieces. Killa cleared one off the line and it hit Abel Hernandez on the backside and Davies got free run on a corner,

“As we mentioned yesterday, you can lose in a manner and at Hull earlier this season we lost playing well, whereas yesterday we lost in a negative manner and we need to put that right.”

Two games in 48 hours means players may have to play through niggles, but one major concern is striker Joe Garner who took an elbow direct to his right eye, closing it up during the game at Huddersfield on Boxing Day.

“We will have to analyse the squad, see who is fit and who isn’t and then take stock of the situation and get a reaction from the players. We have got that many times since I have been here and hopefully that is the case tomorrow.

“Joe [Garner] caught an elbow full on and he couldn’t see. It ballooned up whilst he was on the pitch and that’s why he just walked straight off the pitch as he couldn’t even see out of it.

“We are trying to get a lot of work done on it so that he is fit and we have a number of other players who took knocks at Huddersfield, so we will analyse everyone and try and give them the best opportunity to be fit.

“Garns being Garns will want to play, but we will have to make sure that everything is fine with him,” added Simon.